The Canadian government is engaged in ongoing discussions with Meta regarding the potential reinstatement of online news on Facebook as part of the CUSMA review process. According to Hermine Landry, press secretary to Culture Minister Mark Miller, the government has always been open to addressing these issues and has been in regular talks with digital platforms since the enactment of the Online News Act in 2023.
Under the Online News Act, tech giants like Google and Meta are mandated to compensate media outlets for the use of their news content on their platforms. In a recent development in the fall of 2023, Google reached an agreement with the government to continue sharing Canadian news online in exchange for annual payments totaling $100 million to news organizations. Meanwhile, Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, opted to remove all news content from its platforms to circumvent paying fees to news providers.
In relation to the CUSMA review and trade disagreements, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer highlighted the Online News Act as a contentious issue, alleging unfair treatment of U.S. companies. Greer emphasized that the resolution of various issues, including the Online News Act, improved dairy access, and alcohol sales restrictions, will impact the upcoming CUSMA review scheduled to commence in July.
Minister Miller is cognizant of the U.S. administration’s concerns regarding online streaming and news legislation and is actively engaging with Meta to explore avenues for Canadians to access news online. Discussions led by Dominic LeBlanc, the minister overseeing Canada-U.S. trade, are ongoing, with the details remaining confidential.
Miller expressed Canada’s willingness to be adaptable concerning the Online News Act while maintaining that the U.S. cannot unilaterally dictate the terms of flexibility. He emphasized the importance of safeguarding news providers in the evolving digital landscape as a primary objective of the legislation.